A Guest Blog from the Tour de France

Hi all! I just want to let you know that I am enjoying my cycling/hiking vacation in Alaska. It was my intention to blog regularly from here. However, I have found it very difficult to access the computer and obtain internet access. I will post an Alaskan Blog as soon as possible. I have been able to post a few pictures on the Clarion Ledger Cycling Blog Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ClarionLedgerCylingBlog?ref=hl if you want to follow the Alaska tour via Facebook.

I am excited to introduce Josh Butler as our guest blogger. He is living in France and attending the Tour de France. He will hopefully be able to share with us some the Tour related activities he has been able to witness. I do apologize to Josh as he sent his first blog on July 3rd, the day I left for my trip. It is only now that I have had the opportunity to access a computer to post his blog. Thank you Josh, for sharing your Tour de France with us!

Hey, y’all! I’m Josh, and I’ll be guest blogging for Clarion Ledger Cycling blog this month as my wife and I follow some stages of the 100th Tour de France. First, I’ll briefly describe our connection to Mississippi and our involvement in cycling.

We are both Jackson-area natives: My wife (Katie) graduated from Madison Central, and I hail from Terry High; we met during our time at Ole Miss. Last year we got married in my brother-in-law’s art studio on Millsaps Avenue. A few weeks after our wedding, we packed up and moved to France for Katie’s job.

We both enjoy biking — it’s actually how we met (Katie almost ran over me on a sidewalk). While Katie is a commuter cyclist, I prefer racing bikes. My first race was Tuffburg 2009, a mountain bike race in Hattiesburg. I came in sixth place on my friend’s bike, and I was hooked! I bought a better bike and started doing more racing. The directors who create the M.O.R.C.S. racing calendar are great; all the races are well put together, well run and a blast to compete in. I eventually bought a road bike, and my first road race was the Mississippi Gran Prix in Brookhaven. I am grateful that there are so many opportunities to race bikes in Mississippi.

We have lived in Lyon since September, and July 23rd we are coming back to Mississippi. But, before we head back, we are using some of our remaining vacation days to follow the Tour de France.

Riding a lovers’ bike around Parc de la Tete d’Or in Lyon

The 100th Tour de France.

Before I share my personal experience following the Tour, I think a little background information will be helpful for those new to this sporting event.

The Tour de France is a 23-day stage race (meaning that each day the riders stop at the same point and begin again together the next day). There are 19 mass start races, three individual races (time trials), and two rest days. Each day the individual rider’s time is recorded. The rider with the lowest cumulative time is the overall winner. The Tour doesn’t cover all of France, and the route changes each year. The race route usually visits the Alps (mountain range in eastern France), the Pyrenees (mountain range in southern France), and the western seaboard. French cities consider it an honor to have the Tour pass through their area, despite the chaos of planning and executing their specific stage. Although the route changes each year and the start of the race sometimes is located in neighboring countries, the race always ends in Paris.

The first race was held in 1903. There were no races held during the years of World War I and World War II, making 2013 the 100th edition of the race. The 100th edition marks several special occasions for the tour: First, the 100th Tour will be completely on French soil; and second, the Grand Depart (start of the race) is in Corsica. Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean near southern Italy. The tour has never visited Corsica before!

This year there are 22 teams. Each team consists of 9 riders, totaling 198 riders. There are two teams that are USA-owned: Garmin-Sharp and BMC. Garmin-Sharp has three American riders and BMC has two (including potential overall winner Tejay Van Garderen). While there are 198 riders in the race, there are only 10 riders with a chance to win the General Classification (GC means overall victory).

Showing my American pride at the Village Depart in Bastia

What to watch for: Jerseys

The yellow jersey (malliot jeune) is for the rider with the lowest overall time. The yellow jersey can change numerous time during a race, depending on the competitiveness among the racers. 1958 and 1987 are the years with the most wearers of the yellow jersey with eight different riders. After the final stage, whoever is awarded the yellow jersey is the GC.

The green jersey (malliot vert) is the sprinter’s jersey. During each race there is a “sprint line” usually about half way through the course. Racers compete to cross the sprint line first. Points are awarded to the first 15 riders across the line. Riders accumulate points each day, and the rider wearing the green jersey has accrued the most points (and is thus the fastest sprinter).

The polka-dot jersey (malliot a pois) is the climber’s jersey. The same point system as the green jersey is used, except the points are awarded for climbs of a certain elevation. The higher and steeper the climb, the greater the number the points.

The white jersey (malliot blanc) is best young rider jersey. It is the similar to the yellow jersey in that it is the fastest time — except to be eligible a rider must be 25 years old or younger.

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About The Author

Michelle Williams began recreational cycling in 2001 on the first 4 miles of the Ridgeland Multi-use trail. Immediately becoming obsessed with the sport, she graduated to riding the then deserted Highland Colony Parkway, eventually completing her first 50 mile ride during the annual Ridgeland Natchez Trace bike ride. Michelle became active with a group of recreational cyclists called the Slow Spokes, the Jackson Metro Cyclists, and Randonneurs USA. In 2003, Michelle combined her passion for cycling with her desire to see the United States by bicycle by participating in her first week long tour. This passion continued and in 2010, she completed her month long Northern Transcontinental bike ride from Everett, Washington to Williamsburg, Virginia. When she is not off riding along a road less traveled, Michelle spends time with her husband, David, reading, gardening and planning her next bike adventure.